OCM Weekly Highlights - 26th July 2009

OCM Weekly Highlights 

26th July 2009

OCM Official Website: www.olympic.org.my

Coming Events

The World Women Tenpin Bowling Championship 2009 – 26th July to 3rd August 2009 at Las Vegas, USA.

Selection of the Malaysian Contingents for the 3rd Asia Indoor Games and the 25th SEA Games – 28th and 29th July 2009 at OCM Boardroom, 1st Floor Wisma OCM, Kuala Lumpur, from 4.00 p.m. each day.

1st Mini Olympics Malaysia 2009 – 29th July to 9th August 2009. 

1st Asian Martial Arts Games 2009 – 1st to 9th August 2009, Bangkok, Thailand. 

26th Malaysian Ladies Amateur Open 2009 – 4th to 6th August 2009 at The Mines Resort & Golf Club, Kuala Lumpur. 

23rd FIBA Asia Championship for Women - Twelve teams divided into two Levels will battle it out in the Championship which will be played from Sept 17-24, 2009 in the southern Indian coastal town of Chennai. Malaysia is in Level II with teams from Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan.

News Items

153rd OCM Council Meeting 

The 153rd OCM Council Meeting was held on 25th July 2009 at the Conference Room, Level 2, OCM Indoor Sports Complex, Wisma OCM. The following matters were discussed and approved:-

• The final Draft Trust Deed of the OCM Trust Fund was approved. The Council approved the appointment of the President, the Deputy President and the Hon. Treasurer of OCM to be OCM’s representatives of the Trust Fund Management Committee. Another 3 independent members will be nominated by the OCM Board for approval of the Council.

• The strategic alliance between Astro and OCM for the establishment of Astro Arena, the TV Sports Channel of Astro, was approved.

• The Annual Dinner of the OCM Women and Sport will be held on 7th August 2009.

• An appeal had been made to the Singapore Asian Youth Games Organising Committee for a refund of the advanced payment of US$44,550/= or RM155,925/=.

• Confirmed the selection of the Malaysian Contingents for the 3rd Asia Indoor Games and the 25th SEA Games will be held on 28th and 29th July 2009 from 4.00 p.m. each day. 

9th OCM Annual Events Seminar 2009 

The 9th OCM Annual Events Seminar 2009 was held on 25th July 2009 at the Conference Room, Level 2, OCM Indoor Sports Complex, Wisma OCM. 

Mr. Bob Kemp, of Astro presented a paper on the soon to be launched, new local sports initiative on the Family Package of ASTRO under the name of ASTRO ARENA. In his briefing, he stated that ASTRO ARENA would be 4 channels in one, broadcasting mainly in Bahasa Malaysia and aimed primarily to viewers aged 10-40 and to deliver 700 hours of live, local sport a year with an extra 2000 hours replays to allow more people to watch local sport. There would also be an average of 56 hours a week of Malaysians playing sport at International levels. He said that subject to contract negotiations, in the next 18 months, Astro Arena would be showing young Malaysians competing in the SEA Games, the Commonwealth and Asian Games and the Youth Olympics in Singapore.

Mr. Bob Kemp added that Astro Arena would build and operate Malaysia’s first and only 7 day a week local sports newsroom offering up to 5 live bulletins a day with some extra weekend and late night replays. The Bulletins would have a roundup of international sport and longer form of highlights and interviews when warranted. The latest results would eventually be visible across the bottom of the screen on the ‘Arena Sports Ticker’ 

He said that the schedule would feature appointment viewing at 8:30 most nights with extended previews, reviews, highlights and discussion programming to build the interest in Malaysian local sporting heroes. Viewers would be encouraged to ‘Get into the Game’ with an extensive ‘Sport for All’ initiative developed with the OCM and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, using some of Malaysia’s best athletes.

He stated that OCM and Astro have signed the MOU prior to entering into a Strategic Alliance as the backbone to the Channel’s success. Astro wished to cover as many major regional, national and state level events as was possible. Astro obviously could not cover everything but if the National Sports Associations (NSAs) were to schedule more than one match or tournament at the same time, some could be recorded for delayed telecast.

Mr. Bob Kemp stated that Astro would support the NSAs’ existing naming right and ground sponsors by offering them attractive on-air packages as a first option to be involved in the Channel. Astro Arena would be looking for several ‘foundation sponsors’ to help launch the Channel. Before Astro committed to any broadcast Astro would sign a Licensing Agreement with the NSAs that would include an offer to assist with any International exploitation of the NSAs’ events for mutual benefit. Other events would be covered as news items and some as extended highlights in Astro’s magazine support programming but only if Astro knew about the events. 

Mr. Bob Kemp stated that he had already started investigating a new calendar database that would allow every NSA to input their events or provide details for the OCM to input, which would avoid too many clashes between major events across the calendar. Eventually, Astro hoped the calendar would be available via the internet down to a state level for the individual fan to see what is on in their area.

Astro has an on-line and mobile presence – Stadiumastro.com that would include news, chat, blogs, commentator columns, results and user generated content from local and international sport. There would be ‘click thru’ visibility to the NSAs’ web sites and Astro would eventually build a community on-line presence that the NSAs could use if they do not support a website now. So the commitment is not just to a Channel but to a whole community of local sports fans across Malaysia. 

Once Astro and OCM had determined a Launch Date, there would be a signing ceremony and press announcement about Astro Arena, which would be by the end of the year. Astro’s commitment is very big, such as the need to build new studios, a newsroom, engage the best talent and crew and purchase 2 new OB trucks to cover all the sport. 

Mr. Bob Kemp stressed that sports events Calendar would be imperative to the success of the Channel. This was where NSAs’ help was required to keep the OCM continually updated on the NSAs’ events and timetable. Astro would be looking for results, news and feedback. A local sports channel is nothing without content and the NSAs have to provide all the content.

To support the NSAs and to build Astro Arena into the best local sports outlet in Malaysia, a number of marketing, promotional and stadium events would be conducted each year. Astro would work with the NSAs to develop new properties that could be jointly promoted. Astro would employ some Arena Ambassadors – key national sporting heroes - to help launch the Channel and send the Arena Angels Cheerleaders to add jest and excitement to selected events.

Mr. Bob Kemp concluded his talk by saying that Astro Arena would support the NSAs if the NSAs were to support Astro Arena, so as to jointly celebrate Malaysian sport to make the Malaysian team the viewers ‘home team’.

YAM Tunku Imran ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja’afar, thanked Mr. Bob Kemp for his briefing and appealed to the NSAs to make use of the opportunities of Astro Arena, to promote and develop their sports and at the same time increase the revenue potential of their sports. He stressed the importance of early planning and preparation of their events calendar so as to allow Astro Arena sufficient time to plan their life-broadcast programme. He stated that Astro Arena would benefit the efficient and hardworking NSAs more, and it was therefore important for all NSAs to become more efficient and plan and organise more exciting and attractive competitions. 

World Games 2009 at Kaohsiung,

Congratulations to Bowlers Adrian Ang and southpaw Ms. Zatil Iman Abdul Ghani for winning the Bronze medal for Malaysia in the first Mixed Doubles Event of the World Games 2009 at Kaohsiung, Taiwan on 20th July 2009. Andrian Ang won a second bronze medal in the men’s singles event on 23rd July 2009.

In Squash, World Champion Nicol David won the gold medal in the Women’s singles, while Mohd Azlan Iskandar won a bronze medal in the Men’s singles eveny. Wushu won two bronze medals through Ho Mun Hua in the Nangun and Nanquan combined event and Lee Yang in the Men’s Taijiquan and Tajijuan combined event.

Malaysia athletes are still competing in the Karate and DanceSport competitions of the World Games 2009.